Like John Higgs’ return to his KLF book, Michael Azzerad’s new version of 1993’s Come As You Are features a writer responding to his original text.
As a teenager, Nirvana were one of the first bands I became obsessed with. Part of the attraction was the ongoing soap opera. Cobain’s public struggles seemed to reflect my teenaged difficulties. His interviews at the time were defiant and determined – weirdly optimistic – and it was only in retrospect that I thought that the conclusion was inevitable.
With this gap of 30 years, Cobain’s faults seem more obvious. Azzerad was close to the band and, for me, the book suffers from not dealing with the misogynistic abuse Cobain inflicted on Victoria Clarke and Britt Collins, or his appalling treatment of Mary Lou Lord. Cobain was a great spokesman for feminism and the punk ideals of Olympia, but failed to live them. Despite these omissions, the book is still frank and honest about things Azzerad felt unable to say at the time. While Cobain was a great artist, he was deeply flawed and his addiction had taken over his life and his talent.
At the time, through the eyes of tame journalists, the love affair between Kurt and Courtney seemed incredible. As details have emerged, it’s become obvious things were more complicated. For a long time, I wanted to write about Nirvana. As a teenager, the love affair between Cobain and Love seemed quirky and powerful. Over the years, sad details have crept in. I wanted to write about how the story changed with time, yet to also hack away the reality to the romance at the heart of it.
Reading Azzerad’s new book, Cobain was feels like a talented artist. But his petulance and pettiness came through strongly. I will probably still read every major book that emerges about Courtney Love and Kurt Cobain, but I can no longer imagine writing about them.